


A Universe on Her Shoulders

by marigold_scented_candles



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Art, Cuddling, Established Relationship, F/M, M/M, Multi, OT3, Polyamory, nath is such a dork, oh my god pls you're too in love for life nath, using your significant other as a model
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 18:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6621721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marigold_scented_candles/pseuds/marigold_scented_candles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathanaël needs a model for his latest painting, and who better to ask than his wonderful girlfriend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Universe on Her Shoulders

“ Please Marinette? “ It’s unusual for Nathanaël to request anything from his girlfriend, but desperate times call for desperate measures. This project was due in a week, and he can’t afford to hire a model to make it work. Therefore he had to use the resources around him, namely the pretty freckled back of his girlfriend.

“ Why don’t you use Adrien’s back? He’s the model here, not me”

“ I had an idea, and your back works best for it”

“What’s the idea?”

“Nothing crazy. Just.. stars. I wanted to paint a starry sky, but I want the stars to be where your freckles are” Nathanaël knew it was cheesy, but… Well, he really wanted to do it. For him, Marinette’s bare back was one of the most beautiful things in the world, and a perfect canvas.

“ That’s… Nice…. But I really don’t like being on camera that much. Especially without a shirt…”

“ What’s this about you not having a shirt on?” Of course Adrien would perk up from a nap at those words. That was just how he was. He didn’t feel the need to participate in a conversation until something interesting was said. Nathaniel blamed it on being forced into too much small talk as a child at his father’s parties. Adrien just shrugged and said it was his personality, so the world could take it or leave it. After they’d graduated from Lycée, Adrien had stopped modeling, and stopped acting like he cared what anyone thought of it. Of course, he was terrified of failing at being a teacher and being forced to turn back to the world of fashion, but so far that hadn’t become their reality.

“ I just wanted” _needed_ “ Marinette to let me paint her back for a photo for class, that’s all”

“ You should do it Mari.It’s not like your face would be showing”

“ That’s not the point… it’s still my body. I’d get all tense and ruin the photo”

“ What if I played with your hair the whole time?”

“ Keep talking…”

“ I’ll play with your hair _and_ give you kisses?”

“ Deal” God bless Adrien and his skills with negotiation. He could convince Marinette to do anything at all. Not that Nathanaël could blame her. Adrien was incredibly charming, with his rosy cheeks and his pretty blond hair, and his laughter that sounded like it could dispel storm clouds. Nathanaël carefully set up some pillows on the floor for Marinette. After all he couldn’t just let her be shirtless on the cold floor. In reality she deserved a bed, but he didn’t really want to ruin their sheets with paints (again).

God above, Marinette was just so pretty. Nathaniel smiled, gently wrapping his arms around Marinette’s middle and pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck _she had such a graceful neck. He’d never really managed to capture it properly, despite years of drawing her_. This was going to be perfect. It had to be, since Marinette; pretty, wonderful, perfect Marinette was going to be his model.

“ Thank you Marinette… I’ll make this beautiful, I promise”

“ You always make beautiful stuff… now c’mon let’s get to it…” Marinette poked his cheek, settling down on her pillows with a smile. _Her back was as beautiful as ever. Freckled and marked with a few stray scars that Nathanaël had never asked about, but graceful and slim. Her spine made a gentle dip around the small of her back, and her waist is slender and strong. Her shoulder blades cast gentle shadows whenever her arms are over her head. He can almost see wings sprouting from them. If he ever did something like this again, he’d have to draw some for her._

One photo of her bare back, so that he can double check where her freckles are later. Thankfully she doesn’t notice the click of the camera because Adrien is already busy murmuring to her and playing with her hair. He’d brought gameboys to play with too, but for now they remained off. Nathanaël couldn’t quite catch what he was saying, but it didn’t really matter. It was soothing Marinette so he could paint a skyscape across her. Purple and blue and gentle white nebulas formed under his brushes ( his soft ones, so that he wouldn’t irritate her skin) And then the final touch. Stars. stars in little clusters at the back of her shoulders, where sun had kissed her skin and made those cute little dots. A few points of light on the middle of her back, more clusters just along her hips, just above the line of her jeans. Sometimes she giggles because the paint is cold, or because Nathanaël brushed some spot on her back that ticked, but otherwise the only sound is breathing, and the sounds of little kisses being pressed here and there.

By the time he was done sunset was slanting through their window. Adrien’s hand was splayed over Marinette’s neck, and they were sharing a pillow. They’re beautiful like that. Well, they’re always beautiful, but they were especially beautiful when they were intertwined with each other. Maybe he’s biased because he’s dating them, but he thinks they’re the most beautiful people in the world.

Their breathing is gentle and low, and perfectly in sync. Nathaniel can’t help but think they’re _always_ in sync, that he’s the stranger in the middle of their complicated dance. Adrien always assures him that isn’t the case. Adrien says that Nathanël balances them out. That now they fight so much less because he’s there to keep them both from saying things they’d regret. That Nathanël is beautiful too, and that he’s funny and smart. Nathanaël doesn’t quite believe that, especially after he’s gotten bumped into on the street and dropped his things one too many times in the hallway at school. But on days like those Adrien lavishes him with attention even more than usual. When he’s so focused on a project that he hasn’t bothered with sleeping or eating Adrien pulls him out of the studio and makes him dinner, and then usually pulls him into bed and makes him see stars

When Nathanaël notices that Adrien is frowning he does the same thing. He’ll tug Adrien out from under the piles of ungraded papers and take him out for coffee so they can enjoy the city together, then when they get home he pets Adrien until he’s purring and drowsy and content. Once Adrien is like that, he’ll start talking about what was bothering him in the first place. Usually it’s something about his mother ( Nathanaël has started to hate the woman for causing Adrien so much pain, but he holds his tongue on the matter), or a less than stellar grade from his graduate studies, or one of his students that he’s noticed is having problems but isn’t sure how to approach. Adrien’s problem is that he cares entirely too much about everything. Nathanël does his best to help him forget all of it.

Afternoons like this Nathanaël just feels honored that he gets to witness them at all. The late afternoon light is cutting through the window, making Adrien’s hair glow like a halo and Marinette’s look nearly purple. Adrien’s fingertips are splayed over Marinette’s neck, just barely grazing a cluster of stars.

Nathanaël gets an A on that project. A close up of Marinette’s shoulders with all their stars and Adrien’s graceful hands giving the most tender of touches to the universe.


End file.
